While one attached single-family development was approved by the City Council Monday night, another will have to wait for a vote on its fate.

Ward 4 Councilor Randy Block “chartered” the item, meaning he kicked it to the next City Council meeting, as the city’s charter allows. And he did so to give his colleagues some homework.

How it started

A developer wants to build four attached single-family homes at 60 Brookside Ave. in West Newton, which the Land Use Committee approved.

“This project first came before the city in October 2025 and has gone through several site plan and building configuration changes since then, in response to neighborhood and Land Use Committee input,” Land Use Committee Chair Andrea Kelley said. “The project includes razing an existing two-family dwelling and replacing it with four units and two buildings. Despite some objections to the increased density, there was overall consensus amongst committee members and neighbors that the design is attractive, fits in with the character of the neighborhood, gives the appearance of a single or two-family home, is set back quite far from the street, similar to most of the other homes along the street.”

Parking is set under the buildings, with one at-grade parking stall for deliveries. The underground parking will require retaining walls taller than four feet, which requires a special permit.

The density also requires a special permit. The project would double the amount of homes on that parcel.

Many neighbors who once opposed the project now support it with changes that have been made to the design, Kelley said.

“As the design developed over time, some of those signers have changed their minds and are now in favor of the proposal, as evidenced by the many emails we’ve all received over the last few weeks,” she said.

How it’s going

Kelley added that she wasn’t sure why it was put on what’s referred to as “second call,” which basically means put up for discussion and possible vote by the full City Council.

That’s when Block stood up and said that, while he wasn’t the one who put it up for second call, he would speak about the item. That’s when he chartered it.

Why did he charter it? To direct his colleagues to watch last month’s Land Use discussion about the project before voting on it.

“We are required to make a quasi-judicial decision,” Block said. “Newton Zoning Ordinance Chapter 30, Article 7, Section 7.3.3 provides the criteria for approving a special permit petition. The key determination states the use as developed and operated shall not adversely affect the neighborhood. This list of criteria does not include whether the proposed plan is better than what can be built by-right, or whether it furthers our climate action plan, or whether it advances certain housing policy goals. As the special permit granting authority, we are required to set all of this aside and make a judgment about whether the plan will adversely affect the neighborhood.”

Block said the Land Use Committee tends to stray from that basic purpose too often and urged his fellow councilors to watch the June 16 meeting before he chartered the project until the next full council meeting on Aug. 10.